Wayanad landslip: Three more bodies retrieved, toll rises to six

Kalladi: The death toll in the devastating landslip at the Kozhikode–Wayanad twin-tunnel project at Kalladi near Meppadi rose to six after three more bodies were recovered during the search and rescue operations on Thursday. Out of the nine workers who sustained injuries in the tragedy, two are seriously injured. 

The massive mudslide struck at around 11.15 am on Tuesday at the portal of the twin-tunnel project near Meenakshi Bridge, burying workers and heavy machinery under tonnes of earth and debris. Although authorities attempted to continue the search through the night on Wednesday, relentless rain and the risk of further landslides forced them to suspend the operation for safety reasons. The rescue mission resumed early on Thursday after weather conditions improved marginally.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, Police, district administration, and volunteers from various agencies are jointly carrying out the operation using earthmovers and specialised equipment. Officials said every effort was being made to trace the remaining missing workers.

Out of the three bodies, two were identified: Rahul Sharma, an engineer of Dileep Buildcon Ltd., and excavator operator Muhammed Imran.

The bodies recovered on Thursday were damaged beyond recognition and were shifted to the Taluk Hospital at Vythiri. Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar, overseeing rescue operations at the site, said the bodies were yet to be identified.

"The staff of Dileep Buildcon Ltd. and the relatives of the missing workers, who have been camping at the site since the accident, will be brought to the hospital to identify the body," he said, expressing hope that the remaining victims would be located by evening, provided the rain subsided, and weather conditions remained favourable for rescue teams.

Heavy rainfall has continued to hamper the operation, making the unstable terrain extremely challenging for rescue personnel. The search and rescue operation has been suspended for the night and will resume on Friday morning.

According to Additional District Magistrate Ajeesh K, the rescue personnel were exhausted after carrying out round-the-clock operations for the past two days.

"The team has been engaged in continuous search operations for the last two nights since the disaster occurred. They need some rest before resuming the mission tomorrow morning," Ajeesh told Onmanorama.

The operation involves a 70-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), around 110 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, and nearly 100 police personnel.

Although the teams carried out an intensive search along nearly six kilometres of both banks of the river on Thursday afternoon, no further bodies were found. All three bodies recovered on Thursday were located before noon.